Ink pad



INK PAD Filed Sept. 5, 1943 INVENTOR George Gordon HTTYS Patented June 29, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT O FFI CE INK PAD George Gordon, Sacramento, :Galif.

Application September 3, 1943; Serial No. 501,103

i illaims.

This invention relates in general to an improved ink pad, and in particular the invention is directed to, and oneof my objects is to provide; an ink pad unit which includes a-reservoir of ink from which ink may be readily and easily fed to the pad when necessary, said reservoir comprising-a metallic container "normally disposed below the pad, and having a spring or snap bottom manually operable upon inversion of the unit to caus ink tobe delivered to the pad.

Anfurther object of'the presentinvention' is to provide an ink pad unit, as above, in-which Iinelude an ink diffusion plate interposed between the ink; reservoir and the pad whereby to assure of properdistribution of ink to saidxpad.

Atstil'l further object of "this invention is to provide an'iink pad' unit whieh is designed "for convenient hand support,- and is constructed with a vremova'lrile lid, whereby-whenethe unit is to be continuously usedfor asubstantia'l length of time,

as for example by .ineat inspectors, the lid can lie-removed and setiasideso as to not cause annoyance andlnconveniencer An additional object of this invention is .toprovide an ink pad unit which is constructed socthat the top cover-thereof, and which cover is the portion directly-engaged by the rubber or metal stamp, is removable for replacement; this being agreat advantage, as it permits the changing of the pad cover when the same is WOI'I1'1OuT/{Wri1'1-7 kled, excessively gummed or clogged with animal grease or fat, as occurs when the pad is used in connection with meat-inspection stamping. Fur:- ther, where metal stamps areused these soon cut or wear out the pad cover.

It isalSo an object of this invention to'provide an ink pad unit which is stable and remains in upright leak-proof. position when set dowmand the unit is so designed that it :is easy to pickup and handle; the hand engaging portions of the unit being free of ink.

I also provide an ink pad which is clean, economical and a time saver.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive, and long-wearing device, and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device partly in section.

Figure '2 isan enlarged cross section" on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view'of thefianged border frame, detached, which is employed to secure the removable cover on the pad.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, detacheckof the removable cover.

Figure 5 is a'perspective'view of the pad supporting tray, detached, and with the pad partly broken away to disclose the'bottom of said tray, which is formed as 1 aperforate ink diffusing plate.

Referring nowinore particularly .to the characters of reference on the drawings, thedevice comprises a round inkcan or container I which tapers somewhat towards its upper end, and which container includes a spring or snap bottom 2. At its upper end the container l includesa neck 3 threaded into the lower end of an-upstanding tubular stem 4, there being a washer or gasket 5 between the outer end of neck 3 and a matching shoulder in stem 4, whereby toprevent leakage.

At its upper end the tubular stem-4 is'vfixedly secured in centered relation on the bottom iof an ink pad holding or supporting box or shell 1,

which is rectangular in plan and relatively shallow.

The bottom 8 of the shallow box 1 slopes inwardly and downwardly from: its edges to a center point at which there is-a relatively small orifice 8 opening through said bottom into the passage 9 and stem 4, andwhich passage is gradually reduced in diameter from its lower to its upperend; the upper end of saidpassage being of a diameter substantially equal to that of the orifice 8.

The box 1 includes a lid 10- having depending flanges ll about the -edges thereof, and which flanges engage with the sides of .thebox I when the lid is closed. Along one rside-of thebox the lid fiange'l I is formed with a hingesleeve-IZ disposed between outwardly projecting perforate ears [3 secured in connection with the bOX. A removable hinge pin l4, having a finger piece F on one end thereof, slidably and removably projects through the ears l3 and sleeve I2, to hingedly secure the lid 10 on the box I. When the device is to be continuously used over a substantial length of time and the operator desires to avoid the annoyance which the lid would cause, the pin I4 is withdrawn and the lid separated from the box and laid aside.

The box 1 encloses a pad unit of novel construction, and which comprises a relatively shallow tray I having narrow sides I5, and in which tray an ink pad I! is disposed. The bottom of tray I5 is perforated, as at l8, whereby said bottom forms an ink diffusion plate. An initially separate, fabric pad cover I9, provided with a marginalframe 20, is disposed on top of the ink pad I'I; said cover matching the pad I7, and being removably retained in place thereon by a flanged border frame 2! which closely and frictionally engages on the tray I5; the flanges of the border frame 2| engaging and matching the marginal frame 20 on the cover.

The above described ink pad unit is of a size and configuration to snugly seat in the box I; said box adjacent its sides and below the ink pad unit including a horizontal seat 22, and a leak preventing gasket 23 is disposed between seat 22 and the bottom of the ink pad unit adjacent the edges of the latter.

The box I along one side includes an inwardly projecting, locating fiange 24 which closely engages on top of the ink pad unit along the corresponding side, removal of said ink pad. unit being accomplished by raising the latter on the side opposite the flange 24. 4

In use of the device, re-inking of the pad is accomplished merely by inverting the device and pressing on'the-spring or snap bottom a few times. A quantity of ink from a supply previously placed in the container I is thus discharged through the relatively small orifice 8 into the ink receiving chamber C formed between the bottom 5 of box I and the perforate bottom orink difiusion plate I8 of tray I5. From chamber C the ink passes through the diffusion plate I8 into the pad. After the pad has been thoroughly inked, the device is returned tornormal upright position and any excessive ink drains down the sloping bottom 6, through the orifice 8, and thence through the passage '9 into the container I.

' When the fabric cover I9 requires replacement for any one of the reasons hereinbefore enumerated, it'is only necessary to remove the ink pad unit from the box I'I, whereupon the flanged border frame 2| can be removed from the tray I5, permitting easy and ready replacement of the fabric cover I9. 4

The above described ink pad unit is designed for, and will be found useful in connection with, all commercial and industrial stamping, as for example by meat, dairy, and fruit inspectors, and in offices, warehouses, packing houses, creameries, Wholesale and retail establishments, and many other industries where there is need for rubber and metal stamp use.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device,

still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An ink pad unit comprising an ink container having a snap bottom, a tubular stem upstanding from the container, a'relatively shallow, upwardly opening box mounted on the upper end of said stem, the latter connecting the container and the box at the bottom in communication, an ink pad retaining tray disposed in closefitting relation in the box, and an ink pad in said tray; said tray having apertures in the bot-- tom thereof for the passage of ink.

2. An ink pad unit as in claim 1 in which the bottom of the box slopes inwardly and downwardly from its edges to an orifice, said orifice being in communication with said tubular stem.

3. An ink pad unit comprising an ink container having a snap bottom, a tubular stem upstanding from the container, a relatively shallow, upwardly opening box mounted on the upper end of said stem, the latter connecting the container and the box at the bottom in communication, an ink pad retaining tray disposed in close fitting relation in the box, and an ink pad in said tray; said tray having apertures in-the bottom thereof for the passage of ink, and a pad cover removably mounted in connection with said tray.

4. An ink pad unit comprising an ink container having a snap bottom, a tubular stem'upstanding from the container, a relatively shallow,

. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 73,708 Flagg Jan. 28, 1868 175,694 Gratz Apr. 4, 1896 617,355 Reed Jan. 10, 1899 721,112 Weaver et al Feb. 17, 1903 1,188,251 Crommelin June 20, 1916 1,429,354 Kee Sept. 19, 1922 1,573,579 Ross Feb. 16, 1926 2,152,682

Dwofsky Apr. 4, 1939 

